FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts – Quarterback Cam Newton will start Monday night for the New England Patriots against the Buffalo Bills, barring an unexpected change, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Newton’s status, and the possibility of the Patriots turning to backup Jarrett Stidham, came into sharper focus after New England was eliminated in the playoffs last Sunday after losing to the Miami Dolphins.
The Patriots (6-8) have not scored a touchdown in the past two games and coach Bill Belichick acknowledged on Monday that the team would “evaluate the odds” to give some younger players more experience. When asked if Stidham would fall into that category, Belichick said, “We’ll see,” adding that he didn’t consider the team’s struggles to be single-player specific.
“We have a lot of team questions to answer, so I think that’s going to be the most important [and] start from a bigger standpoint, ”Belichick said at the time.
Two days later, after Belichick and his staff went through meetings to discuss some of those questions, Belichick seemed less open to a quarterback switch and pushed back when the topic came up.
“We don’t answer that question every day,” he said. “What if I let you know if we’re going to change anything?”
Newton is 216 from 328 for 2,381 yards, with five touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season, while adding 489 rushing yards on 122 carriers, with 11 touchdowns.
Stidham, who was seen as a top contender to replace Tom Brady last off-season before Newton signed a one-year contract on July 8, has played sparingly in the cleanup service. He is 18 out of 33 for 212 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, whose weekly media availability took place earlier Saturday, said, “Cam has prepared very well this week.”
McDaniels said any change would be made by Belichick, and he would honor any choice that was. McDaniels said of Stidham: “I’ve seen a lot of Jarrett in practice. I see him every day. I’ve seen him for two years. I’m confident I understand where Jarrett stands in his development.”